Texting has quickly become one of the main ways that our children communicate with each other. It's faster and more convenient than talking on the phone (plus, it's easier to ignore those "annoying" people that no one wants to talk to!).
Texting consists of two things - acronyms and emoticons.

Acronyms are the shortened version of words that kids use while texting. While it's all still English, it can become confusing for us adults to really grasp the meeting of the text from "that guy in my English class".

Clean list
? = I have a question or I don't understand
?4U = I have a question for you
TMI = Too much information
2MOR = Tomorrow
6Y = Sexy
9 = Adult in the room
A3 = Anytime, anywhere, anyplace
AIGHT = Alright
AITR = Adult in the room
ATB = All the Best
B2W = Back to work
BB = Be Back
BEG = Big Evil Grin
BF = Boy friend or best friend
BFF = Best friends forever
BC = Because
BD = Big deal
BLNT = Better luck next time
BOLO = Be on the look out
BRD = Bored
BTDT = Been there, done that
CM = Call me
d00d = Dude
E2EG = Ear to ear grin
EZ = Easy
GTG = Got to go
GN = Good night
HF - Have Fun
IDTS - I don't think so
IMHO = In my humble opinion
IMU = I miss you
K = Okay
Kewl - Cool
L8R = Later
LOL = Laugh Out Loud
DH = Dear Husband
DD = Dear Daughter
SIL = Sister in-law
BIL = Brother in-law
MIL = Mother in-law
FIL = Father in-law
POS = Parent Over Shoulder
FTW = For The Win (or it's more dirty counter-part)
ty- thank you
ily- i love you
ilu- i love u
sm- so much
wamh- with all my heart
idk- i dont know
irdk- i really dont know
idrk- i dont really know
idr- i dont remember
lmbo- laugh my butt off
rofl- rolling on the floor laughing
jk- just joking
jkbs- just joking but seriously
brb- be right back
b/c- because
b4- before

The link below contains more acronyms, but of the less clean variety. Profanity galore. View at your own risk.
http://www.netlingo.com/acronyms.php


Emoticons


Emotional icons are the way that kids display their emotions through text. Also known simply as "smileys", it's easy to have a message interpreted completely different with different emoticons.
Here's a list of the basics:

Emoticons
Text message
:-)
I'm happy
;-)
Cheeky/sarcastic comment
:-(
Upset
>;->
Rude suggestions
(-:
Left handed
%-)
Staring at a screen too long
:*)
drunk
8)
Wearing glasses
B-)
Wearing Sunglasses
B:-)
... on my head
:-)-
Drooling
:--)
Got a cold
:'-(
Been crying
:-@
Gonna scream
:-#
Wear braces
:^)
Broken nose
:-&
Tongue tied
-:-(
Punk Rocker
<:-)
Stupid thing to say
':-)
Lost one of my eyebrows
,:-)
.. other side
|-1
Going to sleep
|-O
Bored/yawning
:-Q
I smoke
:-?
... a pipe
O:-)
I'm an angel
:-D
I'm laughing
:-X
My lips are sealed
:-o
Uh - oh!
[:-)
I'm wearing a walkman
:-[]
Wearing lipstick
:-[)
I've a moustache
:-))
Very happy
$-)
Greedy
:-/
Perplexed
?:-/
Confused
=:O
Frightened (hair standing up)
%*@:-(
Hung over
#-)
Partied all night
<:I
Dunce
:-I
Non-committal
(-_-)
Secret smile
:-)< //>
Am wearing a tie
:-~|
Have a cold
:-{}
Am wearing lipstick
:-)8
Am well dressed
{(:-)
Am wearing a toupee
(:-|
Am bold
:-*
A kiss
X=
Fingers crossed
:-P
Sticking out a tongue
X-)
I see nothing
:-X
I say nothing
:-[[
Drooling
...---...
SOS
(_8-(|)
Homer Simpson
@@@@@:o)
Marge Simpson
C|:-=
Charlie Chaplin
=|:-)=
Abraham Lincoln
*<:-)
Father Christmas
(:)-)
Scuba diver
*#:-)
Scotsman
0:-)
Angel
:-[
Vampire
]:-)
Devil
@]-'---,--
Rose
(::[]::)
Bandaid/Plaster - help
:>
Little smile/grin
:~(
Crying
};>
Devil/lewd remark
:<>
Yawn
:pPppPP!!
Rasberry
{you}
Hug you
O.O
Eyes wide open
@:-)
Wears a turban
(-:|:-)
Siamese twins
}:-o
Mono brow/devil
3:-o
Cow
:V
Duck
>>:-)
Klingon
:-|:-|
Deja vu
|*-*|
Cassette tape
@=
Nuclear bomb
:-c
Unhappy
:-C
Really unhappy
:-\
Undecided
:( )
Frog
(:I
Egg head
:@
What
][
Feeling seperated
}{
Face to face